It was clearly nothing.

But before I could grab him, Cedar walked steadily and sat down in his seat with a thud.

Then he began to diligently cut the meat he hadn’t cut earlier.

“Th-Thank you.”

“Let’s eat.”

“Yes.”

I busily put meat in my mouth. For some reason, I couldn’t look straight at Cedar.

‘It’s because the meat is so delicious. It’s melting in my mouth especially today.’

So I just stared intently at my plate.

I thought my heart was pounding because the meat was so delicious.

I ate like that, not knowing whether the meat was going into my nose or mouth.

Cedar also didn’t say a word for some reason, so the uncomfortable meal continued.

“Co-Commander!”

When has someone’s visit been this welcome? I turned around with a bright face.

The man who ran into the dining hall was Hail, who now felt so familiar.

“Hello, Sir Hail!”

Just because the awkwardness was broken, I greeted Hail with a bright smile.

Hail, who had been looking at me suspiciously while blinking his eyes as if surprised, tilted his head and shouted.

“Yes, yes! Oh? You’ve transformed, my lady?”

Transformed!

Is it just a polite thing to say, or is he really surprised? While I was puzzled, Hail gave me the answer.

“At first, I thought you were a stranger who was happy to see me, so I thought you were a con artist. Of course, there are no women approaching me to con me either!”

“…”

He really didn’t recognize me.

‘Did I change that much?’

Of course, my hairstyle had changed so drastically that even I was startled when I looked in the mirror.

But that’s because I don’t look at my face often!

At that moment, Cedar, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, tapped the corner of a bowl with his spoon.

Then, as if receiving some signal, Hail changed his attitude and earnestly praised me.

“You look much lighter than before! It’s refreshing! It suits you so, so well! It really suits you!”

No matter how dull I was, I couldn’t miss how his tone changed as soon as Cedar tapped the bowl.

I replied with an awkward smile.

“…Thank you for the compliment. Even if it’s just flattery, it makes me feel good.”

Then Hail raised his voice as if it would be a big problem if I didn’t accept it, and earnestly expressed his opinion.

Then, inadvertently, his true feelings slipped out.

“Flattery? It’s pure sincerity! At this rate, you’ll be fine staying alone! Of course, we’ll have to fix the mansion’s locks first.”

“What?”

Does that mean I have to stay alone in the mansion?

I turned to Cedar with a look that meant ‘do you know something about this?’, but Cedar’s face was just as grim.

Cedar asked in an irritated voice.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Hail blinked his eyes and couldn’t answer right away.

It was obvious even to me that he was racking his brain to figure out how to speak without offending Cedar.

And Cedar was not a patient person.

As soon as Hail hesitated for a moment, he reached out and grabbed Hail’s arm tightly so he couldn’t escape.

“Looks like you’ve failed to control your mouth again.”

At these words that asserted he had made a slip of the tongue, whatever it was, Hail turned bright red and jumped up.

“It’s not me! It’s not me! Why do you become violent only when you see me?”

“Then what is it? What was your intention in saying such a thing?”

“I was really saying it out of concern for the lady. You don’t even recognize your subordinate’s loyalty, sob sob.”

Hail tried to squeeze out fake tears, but Cedar’s fist only clenched tighter.

Hail quickly delivered new information before getting hit.

“A request to advance the subjugation operation arrived at the capital today. They say the movements of the magical beasts are strange. They suddenly attacked a civilian house, causing casualties yesterday.”

Subjugation operation. It was a story that had been consistently mentioned as an annual event of the Dragon Knight Order since I opened my eyes.

‘I thought the word subjugation had something to do with fighting, but it was about subduing magical beasts.’

Magical beasts. Ferocious monsters that roam the forests and attack humans.

Although the cause of their occurrence is still unknown, they were named magical beasts due to suspicions that they might be related to the demon realm that might exist somewhere.

‘But recently, the dominant theory is that they should be seen as a type of animal, regardless of the demon realm. It’s because it’s been revealed that male and female magical beasts mate and reproduce.’

Just as celestial beings don’t reproduce like terrestrial beings, the same goes for demonic beings.

As baby magical beasts were captured, the hypothesis that magical beasts were sent through cracks in the demon realm or deliberately by demon races to torment the surface lost strength.

Nevertheless, the term magical beast is not easily corrected because magical beasts are threatening to humans.

‘I’ve heard that magical beasts are very fierce and strong, so they’re not easy to defeat.’

A subjugation operation.

Then doesn’t that mean they’ll be fighting against magical beasts on a large scale?

Even I, who had never encountered a magical beast, was nervous, but Cedar, who had to make all these decisions, was utterly indifferent.

“Did someone foolishly touch a magical beast’s offspring or eggs? They don’t just come down to civilian houses for no reason.”

“As it came by urgent telegram, I don’t know the detailed situation either.”

“The fact that they sent an urgent telegram itself means it’s not a trivial matter.”

Cedar propped his chin and turned towards me.

The moment I met his eyes, I could tell what he was worried about, as if by magic.

If he goes to the subjugation operation, he has to leave me behind. He was worried about me.

So I quickly replied.

“Please go.”

At my words, Cedar’s shoulders jerked greatly. He came closer to me and answered in a serious tone.

“No. I swore I wouldn’t put you in danger.”

At Cedar’s answer, Hail’s mouth fell open.

That expression was proof that it was an event Cedar absolutely couldn’t miss. I shook my head.

“You shouldn’t confuse private and public domains. Since it’s a place where you’re absolutely needed, you should go, husband.”

“What are you going to do alone in the mansion after I leave? What if an assassin comes again?”

“That’s because you were the only one who could protect me then. Now we have Grisha.”

At my answer, Cedar’s face hardened even more. He firmly shook his head.

“That’s even more impossible.”

“What? Why? You might not like Grisha as a competitor, but Grisha and I have been close since childhood…”

“Don’t even mention that name.”

“…?”

I thought he was doubting that Grisha might harm me, so I earnestly said that Grisha wouldn’t do such a thing, but rather those words seemed to grate on Cedar’s nerves.

‘Why on earth?’

Did it seem like I was only praising Grisha while not praising Cedar? There’s no way it could be such a childish reason.

‘But only such childish reasons come to mind.’

Because I don’t know any other reason to refuse.

No matter how bad Cedar’s relationship with Grisha was, Grisha was the person I could rely on the most.

‘I’m going to ask Grisha for help!’

With such determination, I stared at Cedar, and Cedar in turn stared back at me with strength in his eyes, inadvertently leading to a staring contest.

After keeping his mouth shut for a while like that, Cedar suddenly turned his head again.

When Hail, who had been pretending not to pay attention, met Cedar’s eyes, he tensed up again, straightening his shoulders.

Cedar snapped his fingers and said,

“Wait a minute. Isn’t the area where the subjugation operation is taking place close to the Academy?”

“Yes, it is.”

Cedar’s gaze turned back to me.

“And you said you have to visit the Academy soon for the inheritance, right?”

“It’s in three weeks.”

“Hmm.”

Cedar propped his chin. Hail gave me a slight eye signal. As if asking this:

‘Why is he acting like this?’

How should I know. I shook my head.

At my response, Hail let out a big sigh as if frustrated, and I was about to chuckle when,

“Nelly.”

“Y-Yes!”

I didn’t expect him to suddenly call me. I straightened my back and tensed my whole body just like Hail.

Cedar asked me with rounded eyes.

“Aren’t you interested in magical beasts?”

Grisha was sitting in a cafe on the first floor of the hotel.

The unfortunate second son of the Granite ducal family, who, despite his noble bloodline descended from a princess of a distant kingdom, was pushed aside by the eldest son and left early for the Academy.

If they knew his identity, everyone in the cafe would have cast curious glances at Grisha, but unfortunately, they didn’t know his face.

Although Grisha found it bothersome to appear in front of people, the cafe wasn’t bad.

The soft music and the sound of people’s conversations rather made him feel like part of the background.

Slowly dissolving sugar into the strong espresso, Grisha sneered.

‘Will this tranquility end? Or will it continue?’

Grisha had not yet decided on his future plans.

When he first left the Academy, he had no calculations for something like the Granite ducal title.

His only thought was to stay by Nelly Periway’s side.

But by Nelly’s side, when he found her, stood his irritating half-brother.

He was glad to hear that the marriage wasn’t Nelly’s will, but the following answer made him feel like he was falling back into hell.

Freedom. What a ridiculous word.

Regardless of what stance he himself took, he was the eldest son of the Granite ducal family and a Swordmaster.

Could something like freedom really be given to him?

‘He clearly has no intention of divorcing.’